Top judges, city lawyer face American visa ban – Weekly Citizen

A number of judges, prosecutors and law enforcement officers implicated in drug trafficking by the Akasha brothers, Baktash and Ibrahim Akasha, who pleaded guilty to six counts of drug trafficking and corruption charges before a court in the Southern District of New York are among those on the list American Visa ban.

The two brothers implicated judges and prosecutors, who they say were bribed by their lawyers to secure their freedom and hence deserve to be behind bars like them. The two brothers are bitter that they are rotting in a US jail despite dishing out millions of shillings to the judges, prosecutors, security officers and their lawyers to buy their freedom.

In their guilty plea, the Akashas said they were ready to testify against Kenyan judges, prosecutors and law enforcement officers who received hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes from the family to frustrate their extradition to the United States to face drug charges.

Those mentioned are at risk of indictment and prosecution in the US. Top officials in Kenyan legal circles are also hoping that the Americans have cracked the drug dealers and that they will provide information on their associates in politics and government.

The prosecution agreed to ask presiding Judge Victor Marrero to impose sentences of less than life imprisonment in exchange for bearing the US the cost of a full jury trial

The Akashas accepted to provide prosecutors with incriminating information such as details of the bribes they are said to have paid Kenyan officials.

Politicians were also mentioned in court documents as an associate of a South African described in court papers as a drug dealer also featured. Lawyers who handled Akashas cases include George Wajackoya and Cliff Ombeta.

The brothers also appeared before Justice Dorah Chepkwony, Justice Chacha Mwita, senior state counsel Alexander Muteti prosecuted the case, and chief magistrate Vincent Makori also handled the case. By then Environment CS Kerioko Tobiko was Director of Public Prosecutions. They also appeared before Justice Anyara Emukule, magistrate Maxwel Gicheru and Stephen Riechi.

There was panic when word went round that two top judges, a prominent lawyer and other influential individuals linked to the notorious Akasha brothers drugs empire could be arrested and extradited to the United States.

The US government had by then notified the Kenyan government of its intention to charge the powerful suspects in US courts. Those on the wanted list included two judges, a prominent city lawyer, two governors, a former governor and a former cabinet secretary.

Others are an MP, a retired senior police officer and a wealthy city businessman.

Allies of Uhuru Kenyatta, William Ruto and Raila Odinga are among those mentioned in the documents exchanged between Kenyan and US law enforcement agencies. Two of the governors are from the ruling Jubilee Party, while the third is in ODM.

Apart from drug barons, also targeted are those involved in graft, an anathema that has bisected the fibre of the society to its knees and backwards.

US ambassador to Kenya Kyle McCarter last week vowed not to allow corrupt Kenyan leaders and their children set foot in the US.

Speaking at the 100 years celebrations of the Junior Achievement Organisation in Nairobi, the US envoy emphasised on the need for Kenya to be an environment free of corruption.

He stated that it was unfair for the common mwananchi to be brutally punished for the theft of smaller amounts of money, whereas the big fish got away scotfree with theft of billions of shillings.

“You cannot allow somebody to steal Sh20 billion and fine them Sh10 billion. We will deal with thieves in a very brutal way, not even according to the law,” he maintained.The US embassy has identified more than 100 corrupt public figures it intends to block from entering the United States.

The list of 100 was drawn up by former ambassador Robert Godec, but was not forwarded to Washington.

McCarter has revived the list and is sending the names and justification for blacklisting to Washington for approval, and he is said to be adding more names. Washington, presumably, will then advise on who is to be sanctioned and what kind of sanctions will be imposed.

Those on the list include national government officials, county officials and former and current parastatal chiefs.

While some of those on the list have already been charged, others are still under investigation.

A cabinet minister on the list had been mentioned in a number of scams but no hard evidence of corruption has been established.

Some former the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission officials are also on the list and some former officials of the National Land Commission also feature prominently.

Governors facing criminal charges are Ferdinard Waititu (Kiambu), Okoth Obado (Migori), Sospester Ojamoong (Busia), Moses Lenolkulal (Samburu) and Ali Roba (Mandera). Former Finance CS Henry Rotich is on the radar, so his Kamau Thugge (ex-PS, Treasury) and Susan Jemtai Koech (ex-PS, East African Community).

It is not the first time US has issued such bans with the last round in Mwai Kibaki era having featured then minister Martha Karua who hit back saying that America is not heaven while Amos Wako said he would rather go East because that is where there is spiritual nourishment. In what made the bans a joke, Karua three years ago was in America.

Ironically, US is now embroiled in the Donald Trump impeachment saga that emanates from an attempt by Trump to have Democratic party presidential aspirant Joe Biden family’s corruption scandal exposed. Biden was Barrack Obama’s vice president and it is said that there is evidence that during Biden’s vice presidency, he used his position to pressure the Ukrainian government to back away from investigating his son, Hunter, who was accused of bribery when he worked for an energy company in Ukraine. Hence the questions: Are there two sets of law America uses for itself and others? Or is it a case of holier-than-thou here?